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TUPELO, MS – Many know the Old Trace for its history of rough and tough boatmen, also known as Kaintucks. Over 200 years ago, these men walked the entire trail now commemorated by the 444-mile long Natchez Trace Parkway. The women, whotraveled and lived along the Old Trace, were just as tough as the men who used the trail. In 1905, a group of women, the Mississippi Daughters of the American Revolution, brought public attention to the decaying Old Trace. Their efforts eventually led to the establishment of the Natchez Trace Parkway as a national park in 1938.

During Women’s History Month in March, the Natchez Trace Parkway will celebrate the contributions and lives of women with connections to both the Old Trace and today’s Parkway. A photo exhibit at the Parkway Visitor Center will feature incredible women such as Selachy Colbert who operated an inn on the Old Trace, Eudora Welty’s writing that made the Old Trace come alive, and Roane Fleming Byrnes who played a major role in getting the Parkway established.

This exhibit is free to the public. The Visitor Center is located at milepost 266 on the Natchez Trace Parkway, near Tupelo, Mississippi. For additional information, please call (800) 305-7417. www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.